Rita Ora has said it's sad to be in a long distance relationship, but she tries hard to make it work.

The How We Do singer has been dating DJ Calvin Harris for a year, but they have spent much of the time apart as both have been promoting their own music around the world.

Rita told the Daily Mirror: "You have to fly each other out, you just have to. Sometimes you fly for 20 hours, sometimes you only fly for five hours. It's an effort, but you make it work.

"I'm not a fan of long distance relationships. If you had a choice, you want that person with you. It makes me pretty sad. But you work with what you've got."

The star was born in Kosovo and came to the UK when she was one with her mum and siblings to escape the war-torn country, while her dad stayed behind for a while until joining them.

She said: "If they can do it - and they're still married - then ours is a piece of p***.

"If you really want something, you'll make it work. I'm so happy for all the success Calvin has. He's a creative, amazing individual, the last thing I want is to get in between that."

The couple are currently at number one with their collaboration I Will Never Let You Down, but Rita said she wasn't sold on working together at first.

She explained: "I thought it was a bad idea. I said, 'I don't know what's gonna happen, babe.' All that political s***, I didn't want to think about it. But when we started to write, it happened so naturally it felt right.

"We do have creative differences but we both have the same goal, which is that we want great songs."

Rita also said she'd worried about the song being too revealing: "There was a moment when we were like, you know, we're both known. It could become difficult. This message, I won't let you down, is a message of hope. It's the little reality that we do have left in this thing. Whatever you want to call it."